A HISTORY OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 



John Thornborough, 1 occurs from 1290 



to 1296 



Walter,' 2 elected 1296, occurs till 1300 

 John of Salisbury, 3 occurs 1301 to 1307 

 Thomas of Buckingham, 4 elected 1308, 



occurs till 1315 



John, 5 elected 1317, occurs till 1321 

 Thomas of Buckingham, 6 occurs 1324 

 Roger of Gotham,' occurs 1325 to 1332 

 Griffin, 8 occurs 1341 

 William of Loughborough, 9 occurs from 



134610 1357 



Peter, 10 occurs from 1378 to 1396 

 John, 11 occurs from 1397 to 1400 

 Stephen, 12 occurs 1428 

 John, 13 occurs from 1469 to 1480 

 William, 14 occurs 1481 

 Richard Benet, 16 occurs 1495, resigned 1535 

 Richard Green, 18 last abbot, elected 1535 



Seal of St. Mary and St. Nicholas of 

 Biddlesden : 



A pointed oval seal 17 of the late twelfth 

 century, creamy white, imperfect. The ob- 

 verse is wanting, the reverse represents a 

 sinister hand and vested arm issuing from the 

 left and holding a pastoral staff in pale. 

 The legend, of which only a part remains, 

 runs : +SIG . . . s DE BETLESD.' 



A very similar one, 18 light brown in colour, 

 representing a hand and vested arm issuing 

 from right, grasping a pastoral staff in pale. 

 Legend: + SICILLVM DE BEHTLESDENA. 



I Harl. Chart. 84 E, 20, 25. 



Line. Epis. Reg. Memo. Sutton, 159 ; Harl. 

 Chart. 84 E, 29. 



Harl. Chart. 84 E, 28, 38. 



Line. Epis. Reg. Memo. Dalderby, 121 ; and 

 Harl. Chart. 84 E, 43 (1315). 



6 Line. Epis. Reg. Memo. Dalderby, 347 ; 

 Harl. Chart. 84 E, 47 (1321). 



" It is uncertain whether this was the same 

 Thomas of Buckingham, re-elected, or another of 

 the same name. He occurs only in 1324 (Harl. 

 Chart. 84 E. 50) ; but the references to his pre- 

 decessor John are very numerous. 



' Close, 19 Edw. II. m. 24d ; Harl. Chart. 84 

 E, 60. 



8 Harl. Chart. 84 F, I. 



" The earlier date is given by Browne Willis ; 

 Ibid. 86 B, 8, and 84 F, 2 give 1355 and 1357. 



10 Ibid. 84 F, 4; 86 c, II. There are numer- 

 ous references to him between these dates. 



II Harl. MS. 4714, ff. 242d and 293d. 



12 Harl. Chart. 84 F, 15. 



13 Ibid. 85 c, 59 and 84 F, 16. 



14 Harl. MS. 4714, f. 342d. 



15 The earlier date is given by Browne Willis : 

 there are several later references. 



10 Line. Epis. Reg. Memo. Longland, 

 " Harl. Chart. 84 c, 12. 

 18 Ibid. 84 D, 21. 



A dark green pointed oval seal or counter- 

 seal, I264-I286, 18 represents a dexter and 

 vested arm issuing from the right and holding 

 a pastoral staff in pale. In the field on the 

 left a crescent enclosing an estoile. Legend : 

 [CJONTRA s' ABB'IE DE BETLESDENE. 



A pointed oval seal or counterseal, pale 

 yellow in colour, and imperfect, attached to 

 a charter bearing date \2jc > , w represents a 

 dexter hand and vested arm issuing from the 

 right, holding a pastoral staff with large crook 

 in pale. In the field on the left two crescents 

 and an estoile. The legend is defective : 

 [CJONTRA s' . . . ESDEN. . . . 



A very small green pointed oval seal at- 

 tached to a charter of I265- 21 The impres- 

 sion, which is very imperfect, represents a 

 crescent enclosing an estoile of many points. 

 Legend : AVE MARIA GRA. 



Later seal of the fourteenth century. 22 Two 

 partial impressions, one containing the upper, 

 the other the lower part of a pointed oval seal, 

 represents a saint standing in a canopied 

 niche. In base a shield of arms : a fesse 

 and quarter : ERNALDUS DE BOSCO, founder. 

 Legend : SIG . . . NT' DE. 



Seal of Abbot Giffard 1228-1236." Pointed 

 oval, dark green, represents Minerva hel- 

 meted, in profile to the left holding a spear. 

 Legend: +VIVE : vr : PLACEAS : DEO. 



Seal of Abbot Thomas about 1238-1 240."' 

 Pointed oval, opaque yellow in colour, the 

 impression is fine but very imperfect, repre- 

 sents the abbot full length, in his right hand 

 a pastoral staff, in his left a book. Legend : 



. . . BATIS ... TO NICHOL . . . 



Seal of Abbot Philip I245- 25 Pointed oval, 

 dark green, represents the abbot standing 

 on a platform, holding in his right hand a 

 pastoral staff, in his left a book. Legend : 

 + SIGILL' : ABATIS : DE : SANCTO : NICHOLAO. 



Seal of Abbot William 1 264-1 286. 26 Sim- 

 ilar to seal of Abbot Philip. Another seal of 

 Abbot William, a pointed oval, represents the 

 Virgin half length, the Holy Child on her left 

 knee. In base under an arch the abbot half 

 length in prayer. 27 Legend : [MJATER DEI 

 [MEMJENTO ME[I]. 



Another seal of Abbot William, 28 oval, im- 

 pression of a bust couped at the neck, in pro- 

 file to right, wearing a double tiara. Legend : 

 IHESV : MERCI. 



" Harl. Chart. 84 E, II. 



80 Ibid. 84 E, 4. " Ibid. 86 E, 48. 



a2 Ibid. 83 F, 20. 



23 Ibid. 84 D, 25. 



24 Ibid. 84 D, 28. 



26 Ibid. 84 E, 14, 15. 



28 Ibid. 84 E, 10. 



25 Ibid. 84 D, 36. 

 27 Ibid. 84 E, 13. 



368 



